How to: Finish your senior year strong

The end of our last year of high school is slowly coming to an end. It’s no surprise that the majority of the seniors have been hit with a mild case of “senioritis.” After four long years, it’s definitely time to say goodbye to high school. Here are some simple steps you can follow to help you feel motivated to finish the year strong.

Step #1: Keep your eye on the prize

Picture yourself walking across the stage and receiving your diploma for your four years of hard work. Graduation is not far away, and for those excited for college, the gap is quickly shortening, but there is no need to panic. Whether your goal is graduation, college, or just summer, you need to keep your eye on the prize. The biggest challenge during senior year is finding motivation. By remembering what your goal is, and how soon you’ll be there, you’ll find the excitement and energy needed to complete the year strongly.

Step #2: Failure to plan, is planning to fail

Senior year is by far the most important year of high school; falling behind is not an option. Although, all four years are crucial toward your academic future, you want to make sure that you’re completing your senior year with strong grades rather than barely getting by. Also, make sure that you do not overcompensate, balancing out school with extracurriculars, and/or a job is extremely difficult, don’t bite off more than you can chew folks! The goal here is to be able to complete all your activities and school work, while still having enough time to yourself.

Step #3: Have fun

Reward yourself for working hard, attend events e.g. Prom, senior field trip, senior lock-in. Having events, or activities to look forward to, can help you pass the time between now and graduation. It can also motivate you to get through the days. It’s highly recommended that you not only attend these events, but also to make as many memories as you possibly can before we close this chapter in your life.

Step #4: Use your resources

Highland is filled with resources, and it’s your job to make sure that you are exploring all these opportunities while you still have time. Make sure to stay connected to your counselor, and stay informed on what you need in order to graduate. Also, while you’re busy staying connected to your advisors and teacher, make sure to stay connected to your peers as well, because they’re also living through this experience. You can use your peers as resources to help you with your school work; study dates are such an easy and fun way to spend time while learning.

Ultimately, it’s your senior year and you want to make sure you make the most of it. You’ve worked so hard for this, and you deserve it; continue to give yourself small rewards for overcoming the challenges throughout this year. For those seniors continuing to higher education, use this time to practice locking in those good habits and self-motivation. Get a jump start on better study habits or organization, because you’ll definitely need it for college.